Lyme Disease and Ticks: That's Sus! ⚠️

The Deets

So, boom, Lyme disease is a thing, and it's spread by ticks – tiny little ick-bags. Word is, a family in Bear Canyon is dealing with it after their daughter, Bentley Klassen, got diagnosed in March 2025. She started feeling off in '22 or '23. They're even tryna raise money for some special treatment down in Mexico. That's rough, buddy.

Lyme disease is from this bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi – say that five times fast! It gets into your system when an infected tick bites you. Apparently, only like 10% of ticks in Alberta are the ones you gotta watch out for, but still, don't get complacent.

Peep this: it takes almost three days (40-72 hours) for the bacteria to jump from the tick to you. That's why it's crucial to check yourself, your squad, and your pets after you've been vibing in nature. Here's the tea on staying safe:

• Rock the long sleeves and tuck your pants into your socks. Yeah, it might not be the most stylish, but who cares if you're safe?
• Stick to the paths when you're out and about. Don't go rogue, fam!
• For the pet parents: chat with your vet about tick prevention meds and vaccines. And always give your furry friends a once-over after they've been exploring.

If you find a tick, pluck it off with tweezers. And for extra credit, snap a pic and upload it to etick.ca. It's a community science project, so you'll be helping everyone stay informed!

Dr. Daniel Gregson, a medical expert, and Dr. Lindsey Kurach, a vet expert, are both saying to take this seriously. So, yeah, stay woke, fam. Ticks ain't it.